Top Sleep Tips for Twins

It’s hard enough getting one baby to fall asleep. But for parents of twins, bedtime can sometimes feel like trying to climb Mt. Everest in a swimsuit! Rest assured, though, it’s not an impossible dream. In fact, once twins get the hang of sleep, they might even outshine non-twins in the zzz’s department. As obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Manju Monga tells WebMD, “Young twins are easier to raise, have each other to play with, and sleep better than singletons once they turn 2.”

Until that happy day arrives, we rounded up some advice from the experts on how to raise two champion sleepers. Here are six of our favorite sleep tips for twins:

“Start working on a clock-based schedule very early. For singleton babies, we don’t recommend paying much attention to the clock until about 5 or 6 months of age. But for twins, our advice is much different: start paying attention to the clock starting around 4-6 weeks…Yes, you will have days that are off and out-of-sync, but that’s okay – if you work towards predictability from the start, you’ll be rewarded down the road when you have both babies eating and sleeping at roughly the same times.”

“Here is the golden rule for feeding twins: when one wakes up to eat, both must wake up to eat. Your heart may break to wake up a sleeping baby, especially when she looks so cute and precious lying there sleeping, but remember that you will not have enough hours in a day to feed one after the other is fed, day in and day out…The best way to feed both twins simultaneously is with a large twin-feeding pillow, which works for nursing and bottlefeeding.”

“Although I normally keep twins together at nighttime, I often recommend separating them for naps, because daytime sleep is so much more of a challenge for most babies. It’s even harder if there’s a playmate to distract or be distracted by in the next crib. Some parents keep twins apart for naps for days or weeks, others throughout childhood. Do whichever feels best to you and seems to work for your kids.”

“Remember, nursing implies comforting, not only breastfeeding. Dads can ‘father nurse’ a fussy baby back to sleep. For bottlefeeding twins, it often works for each parent to take an assigned baby for the night. Or, some parents take turns being the on-call parent, enabling you to get a full night’s sleep every other night.”

“If one twin seems ready to sleep through the night, let her snooze in a different room from her sibling, even if it’s only temporary — and even if it means moving her play yard or crib into the kitchen or bathroom. That way, the nighttime wakings of her twin won’t give her a case of the midnight cranks, too.”

“Your twins may find it comforting (and can sleep safely) if you place the cribs close enough for them to see one another…[If one baby] starts fussing, check on the other one first to make sure she’s happy and settled. This makes sure that no one is overlooked, and both children feel secure and loved. Also, don’t worry too much about one baby waking up the other: Many twins and multiples don’t seem bothered by their sibling’s crying, even when they’re in the same room.”

Want more sleep tips? Check out advice from top experts – for twins and non-twins alike – here!